PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

[Steve Long]

With DC:TAS done and off my plate, I've got the chance to get an early start on Predators, our Dark Champions book of bad guys. So, I thought I'd start a brief "what do you want to see?" thread.

 

Generally speaking, it's a book of villains. There'll be a crimelords section, a section of groups/organizations, and a section of "solo" bad guys. As with CKC, there'll be a wide mix of character types. It's all pretty straightforward, but I thought I'd start this thread in case anyone had any ideas they felt like expressing.

[specks]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Andres Panthanatos of course (He'll be the Harbingers Moriarty)

 

An team of villians that will go up against the one the Harbinger organized

 

A team of con artists

 

Maybe a space alien or two

 

My $.02

[Captain Obvious]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I kind of liked the old agency rules from Champions III. Maybe an updated version of that, that the GM can use it to wing a session or two, or get some inspiration from, in regard to running organized crime, and give a good yardstick to measure against to know when a gang is beat, or when their fortunes are rising.

 

Also I'd like to see lots of super-skilled and low-super-powered bad guys, but without any of them getting too out of hand power-wise. Most of the guys from the 4th Ed DC were pretty cool, although some of the Card Shark guys were a little out there in four-color land.

[Steve Long]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

some of the Card Shark guys were a little out there in four-color land

 

Yes they were, since it was a Champions supplement at the time. As you'll see in Hudson City, Card Shark and his men are now in line with established Dark Champions parameters.

 

The sample villains in Dark Champions itself are a good example of the sort of thing you'll see in Predators (though of course the latter will have more variety). There will even be a few "weird" characters with odd abilities that don't violate the genre feel -- but no space aliens.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Package Deals and Sample Generic Thugs (Like from "An Eye For An Eye" & "The Ultimate Martial Artist"

1. Street Thugs

2. White Collar Criminals (Slum Lord, Corrupt Politician, Black Market Military)

3. Professional Criminals (Organized Crime, Biker Gangs, etc...)

4. Mercenaries (What Criminals use them for and how they interact with Vigilantes)

5. Terrorists (Various Levels of Competence)

6. Legal Recourse

7. Recurring Villains who won't be killed because the courts can't hold them.

8. Justice not Law Criminals

9. Criminals who Prey on other Criminals

10. Andreaous Panterous as the Blus Moon Killer's foil. (DC Comics Cain, Lady Shiva, and DeathStroke or Marvel Comics Taskmaster, the Foreigner, etc...)

 

That's it for now more later

 

QM

[specks]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Andreaous Panterous as the Blus Moon Killer's foil....

 

I think I said something like that

 

-- but no space aliens.

 

What I wanted was some low-powered extra terrestrials. Something similar too this old television program

 

Hope this helps.

[Trebuchet]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I'd like to see some "mystic" type villains and things that go bump in the night just for a bit of variety. When you get right down to it, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a Dark Champions campaign at heart. And it's not like Batman has never fought supernatural foes.

[Eosin]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I would like to see some of the great villains of JNL/DC/HCB get an update (20-30% of the new book).

 

I agree that having a group large enough and powerful enough to actually hang with HOJ would be nice. ARSENAL worked great (killed one of my characters in fact). Groups like that - they can expand or contract as the GM needs but are not "Thug 1, Thug 2"

 

I would like to see some intelligence spooks that are niether good nor bad --- think X-Files. Someone that the PCs can contact and work with but are leary to do so - the Hangedman also served this function and was great as a solo spook but the fear of an entire agency is a sweet incentive not to push things too far.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Here are my thoughts.

 

1. I'd like to see at least three serial killers in the solo villains section -- one relatively easy to catch, one a little harder, and one that's given police a run for their money for quite some time (a la Zodiac or Green River). Also make their psychological profiles as different as possible; for example, maybe the first is compulsive, the second is just plain spiteful, and the third is gloriously narcissistic. Maybe the first kills children, the second kills prostitutes, and the third targets people seemingly (but not truly) at random. You get the idea.

 

2. Please consider including a Text Box with each character, giving suggestions on how he could fit into a superpowered world (whether a DC:TAS game, a darker-toned Champions game, a or something else -- including FH magic, SH psychic and alien powers, and so forth).

 

3. As each character is written, consider how the character might be adapted to fill a niche in Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and other genres. You needn't spell out for us how to do the adaptation, though some broad hints would be helpful. (A few words on this in the Introduction would naturall be expected even if nobody'd brought up the topic.)

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I think I said something like that

 

Just wanted to be sure he saw it. Great idea by the way.

 

QM

[Sketchpad]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Some serial killers with unique tastes ... maybe a Hero hunter ... or a Kraven the Hunter sort of character. I think the old Champions villain Hideous would make a nice character for this book. Ninjas ... lots of ninjas!

[Arkham]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Yes they were' date=' since it was a Champions supplement at the time. As you'll see in [i']Hudson City,[/i] Card Shark and his men are now in line with established Dark Champions parameters.

 

The sample villains in Dark Champions itself are a good example of the sort of thing you'll see in Predators (though of course the latter will have more variety). There will even be a few "weird" characters with odd abilities that don't violate the genre feel -- but no space aliens.

 

So no anthropomorphic Fly's who wear fuzzy long coats and pimp da hoes?

 

( What? Papa Fly is a great bad guy... )

[Barton]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Old school mafia boss. What I mean is a boss who has "rules". Don't hurt innocents, do not kill cops, do not kill judges; the "rules" the mafia adopted in the 1950's and 1960's. This character could be very bad criminal, but may help the characters in some cases. This could be a great recurring "enemy". Maybe he could have as a goal to use the DC characters to further his own aims.

[Steve Long]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

or a Kraven the Hunter sort of character

 

Y'mean like, say, Crossbow on page 354 of Dark Champions?

 

As for serial killers, IIRC I've got at least three that have that as their primary schtick: the Heretic, the Kissing Bandit, and the Shrike. Arguably a lot of the characters in the book are sociopaths, they just "express" it differently.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

2. Please consider including a Text Box with each character' date=' giving suggestions on how he could fit into a superpowered world (whether a DC:TAS game, a darker-toned [i']Champions[/i] game, a or something else -- including FH magic, SH psychic and alien powers, and so forth).

I just thought to clarify something about this: I mean something a little more than just "give him Telepathy." The Text Box, in this case, would have some specific builds with the point values and all that, including any attendant Disadvantages -- you know, to minimize the extra work for GMs.

[CBikle]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Might consider excluding any sex-crime related villains/material. I know it sounds dopey, but it somehow always comes across as extra-creepy to see that stuff in a gaming supplement. As a side note, you might even consider putting some sort of adult-content label on the cover.

 

Give each villain a paragraph on how to convert in Champions like you guys did in the 4E Dark Champions books. I always thought that was a good idea.

[Trebuchet]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Might consider excluding any sex-crime related villains/material. I know it sounds dopey' date=' but it somehow always comes across as extra-creepy to see that stuff in a gaming supplement. As a side note, you might even consider putting some sort of adult-content label on the cover.[/quote']It would be difficult to do any serial killers without having some sex-crime material since most serial killings are sexually motivated. Of course there is no reason for Predators to get particularly graphic in its descriptions.

[Mark Taylor]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

It would be difficult to do any serial killers without having some sex-crime material since most serial killings are sexually motivated. Of course there is no reason for Predators to get particularly graphic in its descriptions.

 

I agree. I don't want to see this stuff omitted, but it doesn't have to get too explicit. In any case, it's always possible to convey the necessary information using very neutral, "factual" and inoffensive language. Reporters for the more respectable type of news sources do it all the time when they cover that kind of thing, and I'm sure Steve's writing skills are up to it.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

Follow the Television CSI format for sex slaying crimes.

 

Let the GM and Players decide how gritty they want to make it.

 

QM

[Trebuchet]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I agree. I don't want to see this stuff omitted' date=' but it doesn't have to get too explicit. In any case, it's always possible to convey the necessary information using very neutral, "factual" and inoffensive language. Reporters for the more respectable type of news sources do it all the time when they cover that kind of thing, and I'm sure Steve's writing skills are up to it.[/quote']I've read a fair number of books on serial killings (including an actual textbook on sexual predators) so I'm more up on this topic than I probably should be. My reading suggests that most "normal" serial killers are not really good fodder for a Dark Champions campaign. DC serial killers are likely to be the wierd ones, like one who is killing young women as sacrifices to his dark god (real or imagined). Of course, there is nothing that says a "normal" serial killer isn't actually one of the more sinister variety. (I can't believe I just called a serial killer "normal" even in quotes.)

[Mark Taylor]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I've read a fair number of books on serial killings (including an actual textbook on sexual predators) so I'm more up on this topic than I probably should be. My reading suggests that most "normal" serial killers are not really good fodder for a Dark Champions campaign. DC serial killers are likely to be the wierd ones' date=' like one who is killing young women as sacrifices to his dark god (real or imagined). Of course, there is nothing that says a "normal" serial killer isn't actually one of the more sinister variety. (I can't believe I just called a serial killer "normal" even in quotes.) [/quote']

 

I actually have been considering running a Dark Champions campaign involving the PCs trying to track down and stop a serial killer. I think there is some campaign material to be gotten from some of the less 'bizzare' types of serial killers though. The latest revelations about Dr Harold Shipman spring to mind. From a serial killer's point of view that guy had the near perfect MO worked out. If he handn't tried to fake the will of one of his victims he may never even haven been caught. (Of course, the fact that his killings were largely bloodless and painless didn't make him any less sick.)

[Trebuchet]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I actually have been considering running a Dark Champions campaign involving the PCs trying to track down and stop a serial killer. I think there is some campaign material to be gotten from some of the less 'bizzare' types of serial killers though. The latest revelations about Dr Harold Shipman spring to mind. From a serial killer's point of view that guy had the near perfect MO worked out. If he handn't tried to fake the will of one of his victims he may never even haven been caught. (Of course' date=' the fact that his killings were largely bloodless and painless didn't make him any less sick.)[/quote']I don't recall any of the details of that case except he killed like 200 people. UK news doesn't cross the Atlantic quite as much as the other direction does (I'm sure you were all far too aware of the OJ and Scott Peterson cases).

[CBikle]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

It would be difficult to do any serial killers without having some sex-crime material since most serial killings are sexually motivated. Of course there is no reason for Predators to get particularly graphic in its descriptions.

 

In a few of the 4E DC supplements, there were a few examples that I thought were a little over-the-line for a product that is sold to/near underage kids.

 

Not a big deal, just thinking it's safer to give a vague framework and let the

individual GM decide how graphic a character/situation can get.

[Mark Taylor]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

I don't recall any of the details of that case except he killed like 200 people. UK news doesn't cross the Atlantic quite as much as the other direction does (I'm sure you were all far too aware of the OJ and Scott Peterson cases).

 

His count is now estimated to be more like 250. What would be interesting about a killer of his type in a gaming context would be for the PCs to try to piece together enough evidence to make a case (provided you have players who like investigative style games at any rate, they're not everybody's cup of tea).

[Captain Obvious]

Re: PREDATORS -- What Do *You* Want To See?

 

(I can't believe I just called a serial killer "normal" even in quotes.)

 

Freak.